A new era: Why building WNBA super-teams through free agency is becoming more common
Everybody better get in, because we’re building super-teams in the WNBA. And that makes it an exciting one for the WNBA that will accelerate its upward growth and entice more casual fans. Already the chatter around WNBA free agency has been bigger than ever before. Vandersloot (6.5 apg) and Ionescu (6.3 apg) ranked second and third in assists, respectively. Parker, Wilson and Plum were all first-teamers last year.
wftv.comCourtney Vandersloot signing with Liberty, setting up superteam with Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones
The WNBA is going to have a pair of extraordinarily good teams next year. Former Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot announced Thursday that she is signing with the New York Liberty, giving the team a third 2022 All-WNBA after previously adding Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones. #BREAKING Courtney Vandersloot is signing with the New York Liberty🗽✍🏼 — Courtney Vandersloot (@Sloot22) February 2, 2023This story will be updated with more information.
wftv.comNew York trades for 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones in three-way deal
NEW YORK — (AP) — The New York Liberty have traded for Jonquel Jones, adding a big piece to their championship hopes. The Liberty acquired the 2021 MVP as part of a three-team deal with the Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings, the teams announced Monday. 6 pick in the draft as well as Rebecca Allen from New York and Tyasha Harris from Dallas. She averaged 5.4 points and 2.5 assists for New York last season, starting 27 of the 30 games she played in. Thornton averaged 8.0 points and 5.9 rebounds for Dallas last season while starting 35 of the 36 games.
wftv.comAP source: New York finalizing deal for 2021 MVP Jones
NEW YORK — (AP) — The New York Liberty are finalizing a trade for 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones as part of a three-team deal with the Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings, according to a person familiar with the situation. 6 pick in the draft as well as Rebecca Allen from New York and Tyasha Harris from Dallas. Howard played two seasons in New York after the Liberty traded for her in 2021. She averaged 5.4 points and 2.5 assists for New York last season, starting 27 of the 30 games she played in. Thornton averaged 8.0 points and 5.9 rebounds for Dallas last season while starting 35 of the 36 games.
wftv.com2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones reportedly traded from Sun to Liberty
The four-time WNBA All-Star and 2021 WNBA MVP was traded from the Connecticut Sun to the New York Liberty in a three-team trade with the Dallas Wings, according to multiplereports. 6 pick from the Liberty as well as Rebecca Allen, according to Howard Megdal. The Wings, meanwhile, sent Tyasha Harris to the Sun and Kayla Thorton to the Liberty and will receive Natasha Howard and Crystal Dangerfield from the Liberty. Jones is the centerpiece of the trade, though, and she reportedly specifically requested to be traded to the Liberty. Among her All-Star and MVP accolades, Jones also won WNBA Most Improved Player in 2017 and Sixth Woman of the Year in 2018.
wftv.comSerbia beats Olympic silver medalist Japan in World Cup
SYDNEY — (AP) — Jovana Nogic scored 13 points to lead five players in double figures for Serbia in a 69-64 win over Japan on Friday in the women's basketball World Cup. In other games Friday, the U.S. routed Puerto Rico 106-42; China beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 98-51 and Belgium topped South Korea 84-61. Alyssa Thomas added 11 points and six steals for the Americans (2-0), who forced Puerto Rico into 21 turnovers. The Americans contested nearly every shot Puerto Rico took and forced nine turnovers. Leeseul Kang scored 11 points to lead South Korea (0-2).
wftv.comWNBA stars shun Russia, 7-figure salaries amid Brittney Griner's detention, Ukraine invasion
WNBA stars have for years spent their offseasons playing in Russian pro leagues, lured by seven-figure paydays that trump their salaries back home. With Brittney Griner detained in a Russian prison and the war in Ukraine still raging, WNBA players are sitting this season out. Breanna Stewart, a four-time WNBA All-Star and a former teammate of Griner's on Russia's UMMC Ekaterinburg, explained her decision to the Associated Press. It's easy to understand why WNBA stars made the offseason trek to Russia on a yearly basis. Commissioner Cathy Englebert addressed the issue ahead of the recently concluded WNBA Finals while calling Griner's ongoing detainment "unacceptable."
wftv.comAfter falling just short of a WNBA title once again, here's why next season's Sun team will look different
Alyssa Thomas finished the 2022 WNBA season with back-to-back triple-doubles, a historic rarity that’s turning more commonplace in the league. Tough, tough, tough. It was a perfect cap for a season that's experienced a record nine. Last year, it was Alyssa Thomas out with an Achilles and the year prior, Jonquel Jones opted out of the bubble season. It was his first as coach and the year they drafted 2020 MVP Jonquel Jones with the No.
wftv.comSun stay alive, beat Aces 105-76 in Game 3 of WNBA Finals
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — (AP) — Alyssa Thomas had the first triple-double in WNBA Finals history, and the Connecticut Sun staved off elimination by beating the Las Vegas Aces 105-76 in Game 3 on Thursday night. Las Vegas couldn't get closer than six the rest of the game. The victory thwarted Las Vegas' first attempt at winning the franchise's inaugural WNBA championship. He took over the franchise when it moved to Las Vegas in 2018 before retiring at the end of last season. ... Had the Aces been able to complete the comeback, they would have broken the mark for biggest rally in WNBA Finals history.
wftv.comWNBA Finals short turnarounds, cross-country travel show importance of charter flights
LAS VEGAS — It’s wheels up to Uncasville, Connecticut, as the WNBA Finals shift all the way across the country for Game 3 and a potential Game 4. And in a notable first, the Connecticut Sun and Las Vegas Aces will do it via charter flights. “I was impressed with how they were able to do that, honestly, in a couple hours to activate two charter flights,” Sun basketball operations coordinator Peter Feeney told Yahoo Sports. The league does not allow teams to charter flights as dictated in the 2020 collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Tsai was fined a record $500,000 for using charter flights in the 2021 regular season.
wftv.comWilson's double-double leads Aces to 67-64 win over Sun
A’ja Wilson had 24 points and 11 rebounds and the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun 67-64 on Sunday in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals The Aces staved off a late run by the Sun, who erased a seven-point deficit with 1:24 left when Alyssa Thomas hit back-to-back shots to pull Connecticut within three.
Sun rally in 4th, beat Sky 72-63 to advance to WNBA Finals
Connecticut scored the final 18 points of the game to overcome a 63-54 deficit with 4:46 remaining. Chicago was attempting to become the first team to repeat as WNBA champions since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-02. Kahleah Copper led the Sky with 22 points on 8-for-19 shooting, including 3 of 5 from long distance, and added four steals. Emma Meesseman, who finished with 14 points on 6-for-14 shooting and six rebounds, gave the Sky an 11-point lead with 7:20 to play. UP NEXTChicago will face the top-seeded Aces in Las Vegas in the opener of the WNBA Finals on Sunday afternoon.
wftv.comVandersloot leads Sky to 101-95 double OT win over Sun
With the game tied at 93, Candace Parker scored on a layup off a neat pass from Vandersloot for her record-breaking assist. Connecticut couldn't recover, scoring only its second basket of the second OT on Brionna Jones' jumper with 13.7 seconds left that made it 98-95. With the game tied at 91 in the first OT, the Sky dribbled the clock down before Brionna Jones stole the ball. I want to be visible,” said Miller, who was honored as the league's Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. “I didn't want to be the gay coach," he said.
wftv.comSun forward Jones, coach Miller win major AP WNBA awards
In previous years, the Connecticut Sun forward has been honored by the media that votes on the weekly AP WNBA power poll as the Sixth Woman of the Year and Most Improved Player. This year, the 6-foot-6 Jones is the unanimous choice AP Player of the Year honors by the 14-member panel, announced Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File) (Ashley Landis)Jonquel Jones is no stranger to winning Associated Press WNBA awards. In previous years, the Connecticut Sun forward has been honored by the media that votes on the weekly AP WNBA power poll as the Sixth Woman of the Year and Most Improved Player. This year, the 6-foot-6 Jones is the unanimous choice AP Player of the Year honors by the 14-member panel.
wftv.comInjuries deplete WNBA rosters, teams scramble to fill spots
“It’s magnified when it’s some of the elite players,” said Sun coach Curt Miller, whose team moved back to No. With teams only carrying 11 or 12 players on their rosters, the rash of injuries have left them scrambling. Connecticut (8-2): The Sun had victories over Las Vegas and New York last week to move back atop the poll. “We have completed our investigation and generally do not comment on discipline around officiating,” a WNBA spokesperson said. Augustus spent the first 13 years of her career with Minnesota, helping them win four WNBA championships.
wftv.comAces sit atop AP preseason WNBA power poll
NEW YORK — (AP) — The Las Vegas Aces fell just short of the WNBA championship last season while missing three key players. Now with Liz Cambage, Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby back as well as free agent addition Chelsea Gray to help league MVP A'ja Wilson, the Aces sit atop the preseason Associated Press WNBA poll Wednesday. “We grew up last year, we added other pieces," Aces coach Bill Laimbeer said. Seattle, the defending WNBA champions, garnered the other four first-place ballots and was picked second. Seattle star Breanna Stewart was picked as the AP preseason player of the year for the second straight season.
wftv.comBreanna Stewart, Seattle Storm sit atop AP WNBA power poll
NEW YORK The Seattle Storm are healthy to begin the season with Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird back in the lineup and sit atop the preseason Associated Press WNBA poll. 1 in the preseason since the AP has been doing the poll. You have to go out there and play the games, said Bird, who missed last season while recovering from knee surgery. Connecticut and Washington, who met for the WNBA title last year, were sixth and seventh in the poll. The first regular season power poll will be released on Tuesday, July 28___Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg
Mystics' Natasha Cloud, LaToya Sanders to skip WNBA season
WASHINGTON Washington Mystics players Natasha Cloud and LaToya Sanders are opting out of participating in the 2020 WNBA season for the leagues reigning champions. Theres a lot of factors that led to this decision, but the biggest being that I am more than an athlete. Cloud and Sanders each has been with Washington for five seasons. Her commitment to social justice issues is of utmost importance to her and, therefore, to the Mystics organization, Thibault said of Cloud. We will continue to be partners with her and all of our players on their commitment to social justice reform as we go forward into this season and beyond.Players have until Thursday to opt out of the season.